Southwest Airlines took to social media to congratulate passengers who stay seated until it’s their row’s turn to deplane. By implication they’re criticizing those who stand up immediately once the plane pulls into the gate and the captain turns off the seat belt sign. This strikes me as misguided.
— Jeremy Danner (@Jeremy_Danner) December 2, 2022
It may seem more ‘civilized’ to wait patiently in your seat, rather than everyone rushing into the aisles. However,
- If everyone waits to get up, it takes longer to deplane the aircraft. That’s because when you get up in the aisle, you remove your bags from the overhead bin. Each passenger not getting their bag until the row ahead has gotten up means several extra seconds per passenger to deplane. It takes longer to turn an aircraft that way, leading to delays – bad for passengers, and especially bad for the airline which needs to schedule longer sit times and winds up with less efficient aircraft utilization and higher costs.
- When you’re in a coach seat on a several hours-long flight (remember – Southwest flies transcons and to Hawaii!) it’s totally reasonable to stand up and get out of that seat as quickly as possible. Why be forced to sit any longer than necessary?
- If the passenger in the aisle gets up, then the passenger in the middle has more space – something they’ve been denied throughout the flight. It’s rude to keep the middle seat passenger hemmed when they don’t have to be.
It was a common early pandemic procedure for some airlines to instruct passengers to remain seated and stand only by row, so that fewer people would be taking items out of overhead bins at once, in order to reduce congestion in the aisles. That meant more time on the plane on most airlines when the engines and APU were off, which meant (depending on aircraft) that HEPA air filtration wasn’t occurring. And in the case of many European airlines it meant waiting longer on the plane in order to crowd into buses after arriving at a hard stand.
There’s no real obligation to cram into the aisles immediately (though try to make room for the passenger in the middle seat to stretch out). But it’s not reasonable to criticize passengers for getting up to stretch, and to get their carry on bags down in order to deplane efficiently.
Hmm… Ok problem solved!
Get up 20 seconds before the person in front of you starts walking down the aisle, so you have plenty of time to stand up and grab your bag… Instead of standing up right away, grabbing your bag and pushing up past the rows in front of you who haven’t stood up yet
Gary, I wish you would try to push past me in the aisle. I would knock you out just like the last guy that tried that. Sit down and wait your turn. You want to get off earlier? Pay for a first class seat. Allah u akbar!
Deplaning by row is the most inefficient way to do it. Instead, they should deplane by COLUMN.
The nicest thing you can do to help other pastures is to GET OFF THE PLANE.
If you are standing in the aisle, and you have your bags, then all you need do is to walk forward, past those still seated,, and suddenly you are no longer in other people’s way. Waiting for the row in front of you to move is illogical and stupid.
By column: All the people in the aisle seats get up, collect bags, and then walk forward off the plane. Then the same for the middle seats. Then the same for the window seats. It takes very, very much less time to do it this way. The number of people walking off the plane stays consistent and there is no massive gap between passengers leaving the plane. Those who need more time can remain seated, and quite shortly, there will be plenty of room for them because the plane will be empty and they won’t be holding anybody up.
If they would simply deplane the thing in this logical fashion, then it would be fast. Insisting on doing it this stupid row by row way is the cause of a lot of the problem.
I get up every flight when it’s time to deplane. if my bags are checked in and I Do Not have a carry on, I will not and not going to wait for every row to get up. What sense does that make. Let’s be adults about the situation, if you feel like you want to stand up after your hour long or 3 to 4 hour long flight please do. You also have to realize there are people on the plane that have connecting flights they have to get to. If they wait for every row to get and slow poke around that would be a disaster. So for the people who feel like everyone need to stay seated like we in kindergarten please find something safe to do. I you want it your way fly first CLass. Until then deal with it until a policy is in place where it’s mandatory. And advise you and your friends to not say anything to the person who heard the “ding” and jumped up in the aisle. Then you will be harassing the customer who paid for their flight. Oh yeah and let it be known, ” It is not disrespectful to jump up and stand in the aisle when the plane has docked”!!! It’s call deplaning.
This reminds me of my experience of dropping off my kids at school in the morning when they were in elementary school. Most parents stayed in the car and made a quick drop off in the drop off lane (teachers were at the car door to help younger kids to get out safely) so that the cars could move quickly as there was a long line everyday. There were several parents I noticed were very special. They got out of their vehicles, walked around their cars, hugged their kids, check their car seats (I assumed they wanted to make sure their kids had everything), walked back to their drivers seat, and drive off while at least another 20 or 30 parents were watching. It got so bad the school sent home a message (this was before email was the norm) asking parents to hug their kids before getting to school. One hugging parents later vented in a meeting, “is it wrong to show your affection to your kids?” No, there is nothing wrong, as long as you don’t do it at other people’s expense.
I completely disagree with this article, and I’m on a plane every week. There is not enough space for both aisle seats to get up and get their bags when the plane stops. This absolutely does NOT save time, Gary. All it does is crowd the aisles. Also, the people who stand up love to block rows to try to jump ahead and get off early. It causes more problems, and frankly, it’s rude AF.
Yes, people should start getting their belongings together immediately, but grabbing a bag from the overhead takes a second. I disagree. Just be patient, and please stop encouraging bad behavior.
Oh poor Wendell! Everyone encroaching in his space. Time to pony up and fly private is my advice to you. Completely agree with you Gary. Your thought process is spot on.
I remember leaving by row seemed to go as fast as everyone jumping up and standing in the isle and waiting
So, the writer of this article likes to jump up as soon as there’s a *ding* sound.
It’s always funny to me how people jump up, like uncivilized creatures they are, and just stand there in the isle squished for another 10 minutes.
I find it comical to watch everyone rush to board and rushing to get off. You have an assigned seat boarding. Boarding, I wait until most of the line is gone before going to the gate. I don’t usually use a carry-on but I do stay seated, while gathering the things I do have, i.e. backpack and stand when it’s my isles turn to get off. Comical, also, in watching everyone stand at the “ding”.
If I were in charge, all passengers with connecting flights would be called first to get their overheads and deplane followed by those who have nothing in overhead bins and, voila, less traffic jams and happier fliers.
I wld love it (and so wld my dog) if they wld consider letting people with pets off a bit sooner. Our pets, even under their seat get restless also. Nothing like listening to a dog bark after a 20 hr flight. I guess keep stuffing them with treats and wait for the poop attack. Nothing like fresh poop on a flight when needing to disembark quickly.
If you don’t want to cram into the aisle (and stretch your legs and give space to the middle passenger and be completely ready to deplane quickly), then don’t. But don’t be annoyed at this practice that has been the normal manner of business for as long as people have been flying, prior to covid.
Behave like adults. Use common sense and courtesy. Wait your turn. You’re not the only person on the plane who has a connecting flight. Get your bags out of the overhead when the row in front of you is doing the same. If you have an aisle seat, help the middle and window passengers retrieve their gear from the overhead. Be kind.
Which is the more rude behavior? Stepping past someone who sits until their rows “turn” or expecting everyone who’s ready to get off the plane wait on you. If you don’t mind waiting on everyone if front of you then what’s a few seconds more for the people behind you who’re ready to go?
I have no problem if you want to stand up. But I never understood why the people feel empowered to rush by before the row Infront of them has an opportunity to deplane. It comes across very rude. If you have to catch a flight attendants will advise everyone to allow specific passengers out 1st other than that stay out of the aisles and wait your turn please.
This article tells a lot about the writer. I’m hoping he wrote this to get a response because the lack of comments on other articles. We all know how terrible it is to get off a plane. People all smashed together, coughing on your neck and pushing. I think Gary maybe on of those people.
@Aaron said “I have no problem if you want to stand up. But I never understood why the people feel empowered to rush by before the row In front of them has an opportunity to deplane. It comes across very rude”
Agree completely. I’m one that almost always gets an aisle seat and I stand up as soon as possible (even in first class). However, I don’t bring down my carry on (unless in a bulkhead or similar such area with a lot of room) so as not to crowd people that also may want to stand up (but do open the bin and have my hand on it to get off as quickly as possible when it is my turn). Also, I ALWAYS let the rows in front of me deplane first unless someone tells me to go ahead of them. That is just respect. I see nothing wrong with how I act on deplaning. Never understood people that just want to sit there and for those that say “that is what you are supposed to do” you are wrong – there is no set procedure so do what you want and I’ll continue to do what I prefer.
I always get an aisle seat and I always get up when the ding goes off and I always will. Like I said in an earlier comment, my knees need to be flexed. Plus, I get the added benefit of stopping people who jump up and push their way to the front instead of waiting until their row is next.
As for those who complain about getting hit on their head when people remove bags from the overhead, this also happens if everyone remains seated. Duh! The bags will eventually come out and down,
Now I have a third reason to get up: I can annoy people who for some stupid reason hate it when people like me crowd the aisles. To them I say: grow up and mind your own business.
I don’t see anything in this article that suggests that the people who are standing up as soon as the seatbelt sign goes off are trying to jump ahead in line, trying to grab their bags and move up to the front of the plane, or anything of the sort. Once the seatbelt sign has been turned off, passengers can stand up if they want to, period. If you don’t want to, don’t, but be aware that it does take a few seconds longer when people stay in their seats until it is their row’s turn to move. On a Boeing 737 there are somewhere around 143 seats. If every 3rd passenger (every aisle seat) waits until the exact moment that they can walk off the plane before they stand up and grab their bag and it takes an extra 5 seconds, that comes out to an extra 4 minutes to fully empty the aircraft. If that were the case, all of you who are saying that people should stop standing up and acting like “animals” would be losing your minds about the inefficiency and inconvenience you are being forced to endure. Y’all need to calm down.
This whole article and its comments are simply dripping with vitriol from the people who take personal insult to Southwest congratulating those with patience.
I mean just look at you all with your self-righteousness and narcissism, you’re taking offense to the experts pointing out their preferred method for efficiency.
It’s literally their business, for airlines and flight attendants to manage planes.
And they didn’t even tell you hurryupandwaiters to not stand:
You chose to take offense over the implication.
Get over yourselves.
But only one by one as your row is called, not all at once now.
All of your points are hot garbage. You are part of the problem. Be civilized and wait your turn, like a big boy.
I believe they are referring to those who get up and run to the front. When getting off of a plane, it should move like merging into a highway but people will “cut” The line instead. It’s aggravating.
Most of those who complain about how Southwest does business are actually to dumb to have reason to complain. Anyone willing to pay inflated ticket prices, bag fees, and put up with surly employees really don’t have a leg to stand on and complain. Please, don’t any of you morons fly on Southwest – we loyal Southwest customers do not want or need your cry baby liberal whining and demands – stay and fly with the “other” airlines – they depend on your financial stupidity in order to keep giving you their brand of “service”.
Bri.
Amen!
So then after trampling their way off the plane, they then go to baggage claim and hug the carousel, shoulder to shoulder. If only they would back up ten feet.. at no cost to anyone but to the great benefit of everyone.
@David Miller
As soon as someone injects politics into this apolitical discussion you know they have nothing important to say and should be ignored.
@David Miller – do you think ANYONE on here pays “bag fees” to fly? Seriously? That marketing from SW may apply to once or twice a year flyers but anyone that flies regularly has status with an airline (so they don’t pay if they check a bag), have an affinity credit card (same benefit) or both. If all you can say about SW is that you don’t pay for checked bags that is a pretty weak argument. BTW, I check SW fares and they are typically the same or higher than legacy carriers. Also, I get an assigned seat (main cabin extra or comfort +) with a shot at an upgrade. You don’t get that on SW.
Look I flew SW a lot when I lived in Nashville since it was a hub and I prefer non-stops so adjust to the primary carrier wherever I live. Not there now and few reasons to fly SW again. If I want low fares I go with Frontier or Spirit (and before you turn your nose up it is about understanding and managing expectations).
If people wldnt take 15 minutes and if people wld wear a frigging mask maybe we wldnt want to jump ahead and get off quicker.
Entitled Keisha.
It doesn’t matter, if you have any carry on or not.
Deplaning, is a process, for EVERYONE, including Keisha. You wait until it’s your turn.
Or, pay for the front seat in FC, and you can be the first one to push the flight attendants aside, and run on the jetway. Maybe since you are special, the cockpit crew, may invite you into the cockpit.
It’s the author who is misguided. Getting up in order of your row does not slow down de-boarding. People locking the aisle by rushing forward from back rows slow down de-boarding more than that ever would.
I think Gary wasn’t understanding SWAs comment. I took it as they don’t want jerks to rush through from the back and hit everyone trying to exit the plane first. Like the jerks who drive up in a fast lane and cut everyone off just to be further ahead. SW is tired of these self righteous, its all about me type of people too and this was their way of saying it politely.
Talk about triggered, and gaslighting. Not everything is black and white. Saying “I like apples” doesn’t mean “I hate oranges” but apparently in your world, it does.
Grow up.
AC – I have flown Southwest for over 30 years – I never had to pay for bags, change fees and if I cancelled a flight for any reason, the funds were left in my account to be used at a later date. The people who work for Southwest are easy to get along with and they have a sense of humor. I have never had a case of my luggage getting “lost” and have only had one flight that was diverted, because of bad weather. Those of you who fly other airlines have paid dearly for your status and affinity cards – and will continue to do so. You have and continue to overpay for tickets, bag fees, change fees ( prior to covid) and you have to deal with other like minded dummies who have no real understanding of the value of a dollar. So go ahead and fly on those other airlines – and take your moronic reasoning with you. Southwest is the best airline out there for the bang for your buck.
Otto.
HAHAHAHAHAHA.
Of all the ridiculous suggestions for deplaning, yours is the worse by a mile …., maybe 100 miles.
Obviously, the current deplaning system, is far from perfect. Mostly, because of irrational people, several, like you, have made comments and suggestions. If everyone would stop bitching, follow the current deplaning system, have a little patience, “THERE WOULDN’T BE A PROBLEM”!
Utilizing YOUR system, imagine, anyone who is traveling with their business associates, spouse or family. Then, imagine the problems this would cause. Notwithstanding, let’s say one seat is your 7 year old daughter. Etc. Etc. Etc.
I did, “worse case scenario”, using your lamebrain system, and deplaning, would not only cause havoc, but take considerably longer.
Next time, THINK before you make a fool of yourself online.
Feliz Navidad
Ciao
Stop the preferential seating and paying more to get a better spot in line. Why not just charge extra for those people who want to get off earlier, seems your speed.
Could you imagine never waiting in line? How fast that would be right… because a barista making your coffee would be much quicker when taking 100 orders at a time versus yours – correct?
Same exact situation… You can get up and collect your things but when everyone bum rushes to the front, it’s simple – it causes a pile up.
I will be honest, nice to see the names of some of these folks that think the world was made for them and them only… it’s reasons like you why I stand up in the aisle and take my time… It’s a lesson in patience… It’s a virtue and I can’t wait to step in front of those for this and make you wait even longer to catch your Uber to nowhere – smdh – sad to see how ignorant and privileged people THINK they are. Literally, sit down…
Aren’t we self-righteous about ” our space”!!
Really, traveling is all about ” hurry up and wait” . Does the two/ three minutes saved (standing/sitting you pick) really justify all this ??
Take a breath a use the energy for something productive.
@David Miller – I am now retired but flew about 8 million miles since the mid 80s. I have around 3 million each on DL and AA so am mid-level lifetime elite. I’m also basically lifetime UA Silver with my Marriott lifetime Titanium status. I don’t have to fly anyone any more and am a true free agent. I don’t pay bag or change fees (if I change I can and rebook using the credit to avoid a change fee). Also, I have an assigned seat and a shot at an upgrade. I check fares on flights I plan to take (including SW and ULCCs) to see which is the best fit given fares, non-stop vs connections and travel times.
You SW loyalists are a little over the top and don’t understand there are better ways to fly. That being said I have flown SW a few times the last few years. I just adjust down my expectation since I prefer not to have the open seating and potential chaos that entails but will trade that for the right fare/itinerary. However, I assure you ALL AIRLINES are basically the same. I’ve flown them all (going back to People Express and Western let along Eastern, TWA, Pan Am, etc). They are basic transportation and anyone that expects anything more is mistaken. That being said I have never had a bad experience with a FA on a DL or AA flight – of course that is also likely due to the fact I treat with them with respect.
@Time Waster – you and many others on here seem to have TOTALLY missed the point. The original post was simply about people in the aisle standing up after the “ding”. It wasn’t about people rushing ahead of others to get off. From the comments the majority are in favor of people standing up beside their seat but I doubt ANYONE is in favor of those idiots that try to rush past others (and a close second are the clowns that swim against the tide to get a bag they put rows behind them then want to come back to “their’ spot). ABSOLULETY nothing wrong with standing up to prepare to deplane as long as you don’t slam your carry on down to block others or rush to the front.
Chery.
Another Entitled passenger.
No, the system, doesn’t change for anyone ridiculous enough, to take their beloved animal on an airplane.
Ship your dog in a container, designed for such purposes. I had to do it, years ago. No poop, no barking, no problem.
Get in line and wait your turn. Having your dog, is your choice. But the system, doesn’t let anyone crazy enough to bring their precious pet ( I love and own pets), special entitlements, to get off, before their turn.
Everyone, including you, expect to be treated special, because you decided to bring your pet on the plane. Airplanes are designed for people, not animals.
First off SW sucks and NOT 1 boomer here mentioned ANXIETY. I get major claustrophobia and anxiety if I get lucky enough to sleep that will help, but as soon as the plane starts landing I am wide awake and having to endure an excruciating waiting game when no one opens the doors is horrific. My anxiety and panic causes me to throw up. I hope you enjoy. I have always waited “my turn.” I have never gotten up and ran to the front, but some ppl have ANXIETY or other factors where they need to get off ASAP and you feel like screaming and tearing out of your body so mind your business as long as they’re not pushing you. Frankly most ppl are really fucking slow and can’t even get their overpacked bags out of the compartment and take forever. Flying in an airplane is one of the most miserable experiences I feel for everyone. These planes get cheaper hiking up prices to be crammed in like sardines with other annoying, sick and gross drunk rude people. It’s just an inconvenience that one must do to experience seeing the world which is worth it.
Brian.
The infamous ding, tells the passengers, it is safe to unbuckle your seatbelt.
Intelligent individuals, on an airplane, would stay seated, while you gather your things, and stand up, when the passengers in front of you, are getting their overhead bin luggage. When they have their luggage, that is the trigger, for your row to stand up, and repeat, what the row did in front of yours.
Standing up, when you are in row 17, when the ding is heard, doesn’t accomplish anything.
But, we obviously, aren’t dealing with common sense, intelligent people.
The problem is that if I sit patiently like I normally do, even in an isle seat, the jackwagon a row behind me will pull down his bag a d push it forward to where I am blocked in. I stow my bag a row or two ahead of my seat when possible and don’t even break stride pulling it out and continuing out the door. Lately I still stay seated but swi g a leg out to mark my territory.
To the fool, who said he would push a child to deplane.
I believe you. And I pray, the next time, I am in front of you, instead of a child. That would be very ugly, and you would have a much different result.
And, it would be the last time, you would ever push me, a child or handicap person.
You behave like a punk teenager, standing on the corner, with like individuals, smoking weed, and feeling invincible.
Believe me pal, you aren’t.
I am taking you off my Christmas card list.
I’m usually sitting on the aisle and get up when we get to the gate. I let the people in the rows ahead of me exit first. Waiting to stand up, when you’re on the aisle, seems counterproductive. It’s possible to stand up and not be rude.
Whatever happened to common courtesy? Not so long ago, passengers were considerate, respectful, even helpful of others. But now, it seems that narcissism and “me first” is the prevailing attitude of the day. And for what? Being able to stretch one’s legs or deplane minutes before someone else? Sad…
Does this really need to be an article ? So what if it takes you longer to get off you bozo . God i hate humans .
Twice , while sitting in a aisle seat after landing, I’ve been bonked on the head by another passenger’s mishandling baggage in the overhead bin. Now I always stand as soon as they come sounds that we’re stopped at the gate.
You’re all right! Every possible condition can occur. I solved the problem by changing my lifestyle. I stopped flying! I use Zoom and similar webconferencing almost exclusively, and let others worry and deal with the rudeness and rat race that constitutes commercial business flying. It’s just not worth the risk to your health, physical and mental stress past a certain age.